The leader I want to be and develop in others

Luke 10:1-2
After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples and was about to send them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go. So he instructed them, “The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest.

This scripture came to mind today. As I was in prayer and thinking about what Jesus was doing, I was amazed by the leadership of Jesus. Who Jesus was and the gifts He brought to any circumstance weren't ever seen by him as "for him", but instead He desired to impart these gifts for the work of the ministry and to see people discipled and actively working in these gifts. He held nothing for himself!
It's easy when gifted in a certain realm to become very self focused.

"God has gifted me for the purpose He has made me for."

The difference between a self focused person and a people focused leader is that you no longer see yourself as the tool, but the equipper. It becomes less about you and more about equipping those around you to do the work of the ministry! As leaders, we are called to pour out to those we lead the very giftings we posess. Jesus did!
The word appoint in this text is:

to proclaim any one as elected to office
to announce as appointed a king, general, etc.
to lift up anything on high and exhibit it for all to behold

Jesus is placing these disciples in way to give them the same authority and gifts that He has by position. Not that they share the position of Jesus, but they carry all the authority and power by His name as appointed ones. He empowers them to fully realize that He has equipped them to the same work in the same giftings He carries!
Jesus was an equipping leader holding nothing back for himself.
When is amazing about this type of Godly leadership is that we see people being empowered and excited to be apart of Gods plan in any given moment of service.

Luke 10:17-20
The 70 disciples came back and joyously reported, “Lord, even the demons are submitting to us in your name!”
He told them, “I watched Satan falling from heaven like lightning. Look! I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to destroy all the enemy’s power, and nothing will ever hurt you. However, stop rejoicing because the spirits are submitting to you. Rather, rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

These people were able, through Jesus pouring into them, to do the work of the ministry that before His appointing and discipling, they were unable to fathom. What strong reminder though to rejoice not in the things we do, but that it is all possible because we are in the will of God! Rejoicing in our relationship with God from whom all blessings and gifts flow!
I want to be a leader that has a legacy of holding nothing for myself, but instead pouring out everything I have been given into those God has given me to lead. If you are a leader, it's a valid question to ask yourself,

"Who has been lifted up in your care? Who has seen untapped potential became a reality for the work of the Kingdom? Who has walked in the places you have walked and came back rejoicing because they have seen the previously impossible become possible because you poured into people the same way Jesus did?"

Don't be a leader who buries what God has given to you deep within yourself.....when God has given you position to plant that seed deep within those around you!

Ephesians 4:11-16
And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God’s Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray. Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah, in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.

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Being reminded of the calling

Last night as i watched Dave Williams preach at the Dream Center, God spoke to me. I fell to my knees and began to pray, "Lord! Rekindle the fire that was once in me!" So begins this journey of study of scripture, prayer, faithfulness to my family, and living out the fullness of the call in my life. These are the two scriptures God gave me 4 years ago that started my journey to become a Pastor and teach, love, and encourage people around me.
(part of this time is not being on Facebook. Although my blog posts directly to my Facebook and twitter, I apologize in advance that I will not be able to respond to any comments on Facebook)
Reminder of what scripture God spoke to me and called me to ministry:
Isaiah 43:10-13
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I, yes I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.
I’ve revealed and saved and proclaimed, when there was no foreign god among you — and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
“I am God; also from ancient days I am the one. And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand; when I act, who can reverse it?”
Romans 8:14-17
For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children. For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs of God and co- heirs with the Messiah —if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
What He is reminding me of:

I must know and trust Him
I must understand He is the only God eternal
He will reveal, save, and proclaim when I have no gods other than Him in my life.
I must hold to the promise that Nothing can reverse what God has done

The declaration for every morning when I wake up:

"I am a child of God. I will not fear what was, but declare what now is through my adoption by God my Father. I have inherited through Jesus the promises of Gods word. Struggles will come, but from that being led by the Holy Spirit God will release His glory into my life."

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Mark 4

I have been attempting to write simple clear ideas that come to me as I read through Mark one chapter everyday, but I hit chapter 4 and it's came to big for a simple status update, so I hope this thought is still manageable although much larger.

I believe the premise of Mark chapter 4 is one of evangelism and how we are to approach it from a Kingdom perspective. Jesus starts us with an initial idea that is the thesis for the rest of His discussion.

Mark 4:3-9
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. Others fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up. Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they did not produce anything. But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.” He added, “Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”

We often think that when we share the Gospel, we are to convert those on the spot. That somehow salvation comes at the moment we share and we have the responsibility in the result. This is not so in the case of how Jesus begins are journey in sharing His message.

This first idea shows us as farmers simply throwing seed. Our responsibility is in the throwing and not the growing! I believe Jesus is showing us here that as we throw seed or share the Gospel, two factors are at work that are out of our control.

1. The condition of the soil or heart of the person
2. The condition of the circumstances that person lives out

His first lesson for us is:

"Share this message with many knowing that it will not produce fruit in every circumstance. We are not the Holy Spirit and cannot till ground....only throw seed."

The second thing He speaks to His disciples is that they have received the "secret of the Kingdom".

Mark 4:11-12
He told them, “The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes in parables so that
‘they may see clearly but not perceive,
and they may hear clearly but not understand,
otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven. ’”

What is the secret of the Kingdom? I believe it is the Holy Spirit speaking to an individual the truth of Jesus is! In these men, the Holy Spirit tilled the ground of their heart and prepared the way for them to receive this truth and therefore unlocked the potential to see the words of Jesus in their fullest through a kingdom lens. Without the revelation of Jesus as Son of God and Savior, His words seem to be only wise stories instead of Kingdom power.

His Second Lesson for us is:

"To see the Kingdom, you must recognize the King!"

Next, He seems to rebuke His disciples, but I believe in fact that He is stressing the absolute importance of this Thesis statement to the rest of what is about to share. We must realize that God is God and we are simply His work and workers.

Mark 4:13-20
Then he told them, “You don’t understand this parable, so how can you understand any of the parables? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others are like the seeds sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it, but since they don’t have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away. Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can’t produce a crop. Others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.”

The third lesson for us is:

"It's the word that works in someone and not us."

Next, He begins to speak of how we are to live our lives within this work.

Mark 4:21-25
Then Jesus told them, “A lamp isn’t brought indoors to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? It’s to be put on a lamp stand, isn’t it? Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!
He went on to say to them, “Pay attention to what you’re hearing! You will be evaluated by the same standard with which you do your evaluating, and still more will be given to you, because whoever has something, will have more given to him. But whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

He is saying to us that this secret or in dwelling of the Holy Spirit isn't something to be hidden, but we must live in the light to share the light. Along with this message, He gives us a warning that the world we share this light with will judge us by the same light. Although they do not understand, they will recognize the standard. As we live by Gods standard, He will reveal an even higher standard of living for Him!

The fourth lesson for us is:

"Live in the light and those around you will be attracted to the light in you that is the living God!"

As if He is beating a dead horse (sorry for that image lol), He continues to hit on the same subject. "You are a worker, but God is at work."

Mark 4:26-29
He was also saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn’t know how. The ground produces grain by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come.”

This is a fundamental error I believe in our tent style, mega-phone approach to sharing the Gospel. Jesus is saying here to His disciples that conversion isn't a one moment event, but a process over time and many conversations and ultimately only comes to harvest when the Lord decides and not us. Like the farmer, we have no control over the process, only a responsibility to the work given us. We demand those we meet to come to Jesus instead of being sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is doing and asking of us in the moment.

After this He adds a supportive statement to the previous I believe.

Mark 4:30-32
He was also saying, “How can we show what the kingdom of God is like, or what parable can we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. Although it is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, when it is planted it comes up and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that the birds in the sky can nest in its shade.”

The fifth lesson for us is:

"Be sensitive for where the Holy Spirit has someone. Not where you want them to be. Before your very eyes God will grow something amazing!"

The final thought is one of compassion on the part of Jesus and where we should come from when sharing the Gospel.

Mark 4:33-34
With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand. He did not tell them anything without using a parable, though he explained everything to his disciples in private.

We must recognize where people are at and speak to them from that place. We must put aside "Christian lingo" and speak in terms of their culture and understanding. At the moment of transformation through Jesus, He will draw them into the inner circle of His chosen and begin to speak deeper things. That is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit and not us. We must declare the simple Gospel message in a way that we do not get in the way of God.

The final lesson for is:

"Do not speak to seem intelligent or enlightened. Allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten those you speaking to."

Hope is was understandable and simple. It was a lot to process :-)


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Marriage in two points......

For those married out there, I wanted to share with you what I shared at my sisters wedding.

1. God has ordained your marriage from before time began

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."

God has placed you with your spouse for the purpose of His glory to be a partnership of great joy and blessing. Every morning as you wake up and every night as you lay down, look at your spouse, and say He has blessed me with this person for a future of good things and joy!

2. In every marriage we will face difficult times

But Remember,

Romans 3

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

We recognize in our marriages that two imperfect people have been joined by a perfect God. Many times we fall short of each others expectations, but how much more did we fall short of the perfection of God and yet He extended grace and love beyond measure to us in our worst moments!

Romans 8:28

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son"

Marriage is a place God uses to sanctify and purify us. We are called in every circumstance to show our spouse the love and Grace God first showed us.

Don't let the enemy change our focus to anything else.

Marriage isn't a place for judgement, but a place for grace, love, and commitment that is beyond our abilities, but with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!


- Posted in the moment

Thoughts coming up to a wedding.....

Genesis 2:18

Later, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a companion that is a suitable match for him.”

We see through all of Genesis, God repeating over and over it is good. In this moment with in creation, we see the one time God says, "it is not good". But as we come to the conclusion of creation we see God no longer use, "it is good" to "it is VERY good".

Weddings are amazing not because we are celebrating a civil coming together or reproductive responsibility being met. Even the animals were given the command "be fruitful and multiply", but instead, it is the very capstone of Gods creation that man and women would come together in covenant and together take their place as one flesh, one mind, and one in Gods unfolding story.

"At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. This one will be called ‘Woman,’ because she was taken from Man.”

You may not believe in soul mates, but I do. As we see here, what is separated in the flesh, He spiritually rejoins in the beauty of marriage. God has predestined two souls waiting to be reconnected as one. We all wait to hear that soul response echoed back to us from the cry our soul sends out seeking the one God has made specifically for us.

In this we rejoice....

- Posted in the moment

Servants, Rights, and Responsibilities: The Law of Love

1 Corinthians 8:7-13

But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idolatry that when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience becomes contaminated because it is weak. However, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat food that has been offered to an idol, and no better off if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, who know better, eating in an idol’s temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won’t he? In that case, the weak brother for whom the Messiah died is ruined by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak consciences, you are sinning against the Messiah. Therefore, if food that I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from stumbling.

I've continued to think about unity, our responsibility to those around us, and what we can do to cultivate unity within the gathering. Not to long ago, I had some people tell me that if I drink a beer, I would be living a life style that was against God. My first reaction was one of frustration because I didn't see biblically or morally an issue with it. After all, it was something I felt was what I did no different than a coffee or pop. My reaction was a result of an action of others to declare a law of restriction, but also a lack of understanding what it meant to live by love. I asked myself, "How dare they produce a law over my life! This is who I am and I'm not hurting anyone!"

Recently, I have come across this scripture and asked myself, "What is Paul's saying?" We typically look at a person doing what seems wrong to be the weaker brother. Should he say that the person eating the idol meat as the weaker person? I heard a Pastor recently speak on this scripture and he taught it well. He said that the weaker brother is a brother attempting to live a life under the law of restriction and not fully understanding the law of freedom in Christ.

But as we see here, Paul speaks very clearly that there is a law greater.....The Law of Love.

But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak.

As a believer in Christ, I do have the right and freedom to drink a beer because I wasn't abusing that right by becoming drunk which is sin, but in declaring my rights when others around me either lived currently in a struggle with alcoholism or without a clear understanding of those freedoms we have. I was in effect sinning against them by not living by the law of love where they come before me. I am called to be a servant to all as Jesus was!

This scripture shows it best,

Philippians 2:4-8
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus by right of being God also had the right to come as he pleased, but instead knowing our weakness, he came as a man giving up his rights. Even to the point of death!

We recognize that in any circumstance, we will find a weaker brother or sister in Christ that either:

1. Doesn't understand the freedom they possess
Or
2. They are in the process of finding the victory over something

We aren't meant to declare our rights in those moments. We are called to the Law of Love and become the servant of them recognizing their conscience over our rights.

This could mean how we dress, what we eat or drink, how we speak, or many other things. The first question shouldn't be why can't I live out my freedoms, but how can I live like Christ and his law of love?

The greatest revelation for me was when I realized each of us in different circumstances ARE the weaker brother! None of us has come to perfection...

So we should live as servants seeking to encourage one another and being less about the rights we demand and more about what following Christ demands of us for the uplifting of those we lead....sometimes without even knowing they are following.

- Posted in the moment

Servant leaders lead by serving

Matthew 20:25-28
But Jesus called the disciples and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them. That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That’s the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Are we servants when we come to satisfy our own needs and desires as leaders of others? When we make decisions that satisfy ourselves with out regard for those around us, are we being servants? I wonder sometimes if God was to say to me tomorrow, "For the next 3 months you will play only hymns with piano." or "I want you to only wear a white shirt and black slacks because those you are leading need it.", would I comply? If these things would better serve those I lead in worship, would I chose to be a true servant separate from my desires?
It's easy to be a positional leader because the only responsibility is to the position. Being a servant leader demands a responsibility to those you are leading before and above any positional self awareness or personal desires.
Are you placing those those you serve above any personal desire?
- Posted in the moment